Patent GB-190310501-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in & relating to Towers for Recreation & other purposes.
Inventor: GRAYDON JAMES WEIR
Filed: 1903-05-08
Granted: 1904-05-05
Abstract: 10,501. Graydon, J. W. May 8. Railways for recreation ; toy buildings.- Towers for recreation and other purposes are provided with spiral or helical railways, so constructed that the cars cannot leave the rails, and in which ascending and descending cars are connecteditogether by a cable &c., so as to balance each other. Means are also provided to prevent the cars from running back it the cable should break, or other means of propulsion fail. Fig. 13 shows one form of tower in sectional elevation. The tower is preferably constructed of steel or iron, and is composed of a number of legs a, made of box girders. The spiral railway b is built or supported on the outside of the legs, and may have two tracks c, d, as shown, or one track only. The tracks each consist of two rails on which cars e, f run, a projection g being formed between the rails, to prevent the wheels from becoming de-railed. The cars on the outside and inside tracks are connected together and propelled by means of a cable h, which passes round pulleys i, k, mounted on the upper platform l, guide-pulleys being provided, as shown. The cable is driven by means of a drum o mounted on a shaft p. When the tower is small or in the form of a toy, the shaft may pass through a tubular bearing to the bottom of the tower, but for high towers the shaft p is mounted in a footstep bearing v, and driven through worm gearing by a motor u supplied with current from a dynamo r, driven by an engine x. The cars are built in the form of a helix, or part of a helix, the axles being made to radiate from the centre of the curve of the track. Fig. 7 shows a form of safety apparatus for use where the cars ascend on one track, and descend on another track, so as always to travel in the same direction. Each car is provided with a ratchetwheel 1 and pawl 2 for preventing an ascending car from running back, and a ratchet-wheel 9 and pawl 3, operated by a swinging bell-crank lever 6, for preventing a descending car from running away. In a modification, a car may be suspended by its flanged wheels 39, Fig. 10, from a rail 10, carried by brackets 11 on the box girder 12. The strap or bracket 13 passes over the top of the wheel to below the level of the rail, to prevent the wheels from being de-railed. Or, a car may be mounted on wheels 14, running on a rail 15, the centre of gravity of the car being below the level of the rail. A recreation tower tapering towards the top, as shown in Fig. 13, is composed of a number of legs 16, of steel box girders, braced by cross or diagonal girders 17, and carries intermediate platforms 18 and a platform 19 near the top. Pavilions 26 or ball rooms, restaurants, skating rinks, clubs, bazaars, &c. may be built at the base of the tower and on the platforms 18, 19, and observatories may be built on the platform 19 if desired. On the top of the tower is placed a rotating platform 20, for supporting searchlights and mirrors for producing light effects, and for throwing images on the clouds. An outer spiral railway 21 is mounted on the outside of the legs 16, and, on reaching the platform 19, describes a circle and continues downwards spirally to form an inner spiral railway 22. The method of supporting the tracks, and preventing de-railing of the cars, is shown in Fig. 14. The cars 23 may ascend by the outer track, and descend by the inner one, or vice versÔ. Promenades for pedestrians may be formed at the sides of the spiral railway tracks, and arrangements may be made for firework displays. Lifts or elevators may be arranged to take passengers up the tower, and supporting cables or guys from the top of the tower, or from intermediate places, may be anchored to the ground and used as aÙrial railways, on which suspended cars run up and down.